A Quest Of Dragons
by AragornsArwen
Summary: Daenerys joins Bilbo, Gandalf and the dwarves on their quest to take back Erebor. She becomes intimidated by Thorin. Can she make him open up about his feelings or is it just a one sided love? Thorin x Daenerys story. The Hobbit x Game of Thrones crossover. Everything in this story belongs to G.R.R.M, JRR Tolkien, HBO and New Line Cinema. CURRENTLY ON HIATUS!
1. Prologue

Prologue

Daenerys stood on the deck of the ship that would take her to Middle Earth. She had been travelling for a couple of months now and by calculations there wouldn't be more than maximum a week until she would arrive at her destination. Such a long time at sea had made her growing really tired of it, they had only managed to come ashore a couple of times during the journey and she couldn't wait to finally have steady ground under her feet again. The crew had been lucky with the weather conditions however; barely any storms and for most of the time the sun had been shining and the sea had been calm. Now it was a bit windy but still not enough to make everybody believe a storm would come.

She decided to leave Essos almost immediately after her husband Khal Drogo died, if you even can call it a "marriage" since it was never consummated. Her brother Viserys had decided to give Daenerys away to the mighty Dothraki warlord and in exchange receive a big army to help him conquer the Seven Kingdoms. Drogo sensed Daenery's unease with the marriage and much unlike other khals, he decided not to consummate the marriage with her. To make others believe that he had actually done so, he had cut himself and dripped the blood in the bed where the coupling on the wedding night was meant to take place. There never was any real intimacy between them and they barely spoke but they agreed to pretend to be married. After six months or so, Drogo was badly injured in a fight with another khal who had tried to hurt Daenerys. He managed to kill him but was sliced across the stomach himself. The wound got badly infected and he died soon after. Viserys was also dead, killed by a slash across the throat after he upset the other khals. Daenerys wouldn't miss him, he had for long assaulted her both physically and verbally and his death felt almost like a relief to her. She was sadder when Drogo died; he had after all been kind to her and never did her any harm.

There was one person Daenerys would miss in Essos a lot and that was Jorah Mormont, an exiled knight from Bear Island who had sworn to protect her. They had become friends and if Dany wasn't mistaken she could swear that he had fallen in love with her. He often watched her with the eyes of a man in love but he never said anything about it nor did he ever try to get too close. No one had ever cared for Dany as Jorah did and it was hard to leave him behind, they had both cried and hugged each other for a long time, she even gave him a kiss on the cheek. But she felt that she had to leave everything behind to start a completely new life. One, or rather three important things she brought with her were the three dragon eggs she had received on her wedding day. Dragons had always been symbolic for the Targaryen line and she would do anything to protect them, she would take care of them as her own children.

Daenerys had heard of Middle Earth when she was little, it was a world full of different creatures; humans, elves, hobbits, dwarves, wizards and no one was like the other. It made her really curious, she had always wanted to go there and now she had decided to do so, probably never to return. She had found the descriptions of each race interesting; elves were very beautiful but often seen cold and unfeeling creatures. Dwarves were stubborn and only cared about their jewels in the mountains. Hobbits were small, only cared about food and the joys in life and barely knew or cared for anything that didn't concern them. Daenerys refused to believe that there was no good in all these, after all the stories were just stories and the ones who told them had probably never been in Middle Earth themselves. There had to be some place where she could settle, where didn't matter right now. The most important thing was that she could find shelter and food for the first nights and then her journey would continue until she found somewhere suitable.

It was almost nightfall when Daenerys decided to go to bed. Being at sea was exhausting and there never was any problem for her to fall asleep. "It won't be too long now, soon I will arrive and soon my new life will begin." was her last thought before succumbing to a dreamless sleep.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

 _Seven days later_

"My lady, we've arrived at Grey Havens, or "Mithlond" as they call it in Elvish."

Daenerys opened her eyes, stretched out on her bed and greeted the ship boy who had brought her the news with a smile.

"Thank you Beldos."

"Do you wish for breakfast my lady?"

"Yes please, that would be lovely."

Beldos bowed and left the room. Daenerys stretched out some more, let out a big yawn and got off the bed. She went to one of the windows and looked out, the weather was still fine and from what she could see the wind had subsided. It had to be early morning still because the sun had barely risen above the horizon, casting the sky in various shades of blue, green and yellow.

Soon Beldos came back with a tray full of bread, cheese, fruit and water. The supplies had lasted the whole journey for which Daenerys was really glad, considering that the most of the crew were men and they always tended to eat more than women she had been worried that it wouldn't last.

When she was finished she changed into a light blue dress she had bought on the road to the harbor in Essos. She had bought a few dresses and other clothes, food, water and also a horse who she named Mist. Mist was a light grey mare that Daenerys liked the very first moment she saw her. The one she had gotten from Khal Drogo as a wedding gift she had sadly lost when robbers attacked them during their journey to Vaes Dothrak. During her time there she was given another horse but that one was rather untamable so they killed it after it had kicked one of the khals in the face and he was badly injured. Daenerys had grown very fond of Mist, it was a calm yet very powerful horse although she hadn't gotten the chance to try galloping with her yet. As soon as Daenerys got close to Mist she felt an instant calm and she wondered why animals had that effect on her, sometimes even more than ordinary people.

When she finished dressing and went up on deck some of the ship crew were already busy with taking Mist and her other belongings to shore. She looked up at the architecture of Mithlond and thought:

"So this is Middle Earth, wonder if the buildings are just as marvellous in other places. The elves surely know how to create beautiful things."

The seagulls screamed and it was going to be a wonderful day. Daenerys bid farewell to the crew, thanking them for escorting her safely and went up on Mist's back. As soon as her bags were fasted on the mare, she took off. While she rode slowly through the city she took her time to admire it, she had never seen such beautiful buildings before. Although the port itself was very big, the city wasn't and Dany had ridden out of it faster than she first noticed. "This is it," she thought, "now I have to make it on my own." It scared her but it also thrilled her, this would be a big test and she stood by her choice not to return to Westeros or Essos. Did she have to be alone all this time though? Daenerys wondered if she would make friends, there had to be someone here she could be friends with. Another thing on her mind was if she ever would find real love. She had yet to experience that, yet to experience the physical part of love that her handmaidens Irri and Doreah spoke so lovingly about. Not even they had known about her and Drogo's secret, they often asked her how her love life was and all Daenerys could do was to lie and say that it was good. Daenerys decided that finding friends and love wouldn't be her first priority right now, it was to survive and live for each day.

Luckily she had bought maps where each covered a big area of Middle Earth, she took the one that covered Eriador which was the realm she now was in. From the stories she heard when she was little, Eriador was once a kingdom of Men but isn't nearly as populated now as it was then. Dany had also learnt that it was in Eriador the hobbits lived, in a small land called The Shire. She planned to go there but it would take long, maybe even weeks if she was unlucky. It was the safest to stay on the road as much as possible and stay at inns at night. Who knew what violent things could happen, especially when it was dark.

The first week of the journey went by, every day and night almost the same. To save money she had only slept every second night at inns and the rest out in the wild. She had now arrived at another inn for yet another night's sleep. Luckily she hadn't been attacked but had been able to travel in peace. Sure, she met people on the road but there were not many and it made her wonder if Middle Earth really had that many inhabitants. This inn was called "The Golden Leaf". When she had put Mist in the stables, paid for a room and a bit of food she sat down by a table and looked around. This inn was more crowded than the ones she had been in before and that was a good sign, hopefully this meant she was getting closer to real civilization. It would take a while before the food would arrive so she might just as well study the people she saw. So far Daenerys hadn't seen much more than ordinary humans, they looked much like the ones from her world and she hoped that she soon would see other races too.

The food arrived and it was made of a rather large piece of bread, a bowl of horse meat, some vegetables and a large mug of water. Daenerys hadn't gotten this much food in any of the earlier inns and if she couldn't manage to eat all the food she could put it in her bag and save it for the next day. Hunger stirred in her and she began to eat.

While she ate she felt as if she was being watched, she looked up a few times but couldn't find anybody looking at her. There was one man that caught her attention, an old man all dressed in grey; grey cloak, big grey pointy hat, big grey beard. The only thing that wasn't grey was his staff that appeared to be made of brown wood. He sat by a table in a corner all by himself smoking on his pipe, seemingly deep in his thoughts. Daenerys watched him for a while and suddenly he raised his head and their eyes met. He smiled towards her and she smiled back but then she felt the same feeling of being watched. It didn't take long until she understood that it was the old man who had been watching her the whole time. Why did he do that? Did he want something from her? He didn't look menacing at least, his eyes had a kindness in them so Daenerys decided to sit down next to him instead and ask him. As she did so he still smiled at her.

"Excuse me sir, have you been watching me?" Daenerys asked him right out.

"Yes. I have never seen you around here before, it's only natural to look a bit more at persons you've never seen in an area before don´t you think?" He took a puff of his pipe. "You don't look like you are from here, am I right?"

"Yes. I come from Westeros across the sea but decided to come here to try a new life. Who are you?"

"They call me many names; The Grey Pilgrim, Mithrandir, Greyhame. But my real name is Gandalf, or Gandalf the Grey."

Daenerys looked at him with kind eyes, relieved that she was right about her thoughts. "Nice to meet you sir Gandalf. Now I know who you are, but would you mind telling me what you are?"

He laughed. "I am a wizard. Would you like to tell me your name?"

Daenerys was silent for a moment. Could she really trust this man? The impression she got from him was that she could, so she decided to tell him.

"My name is Daenerys of the house Targaryen. I was born on the island of Dragonstone but my mother died in childbirth. Our father Aerys was the king of the Seven Kingdoms but was killed when Robert Baratheon decided to take the Iron Throne, which he still holds. My brother Viserys and I fled to the Free Cities. My brother sold me to a Dothraki warlord in exchange for an army to get the throne back but things didn't go as planned, he angered them and they killed him. My other brother Rhaegar is dead too so I am the only one left of my family. On the night I was born there was a terrible storm going on, which is why I sometimes go under the name Daenerys Stormborn."

Gandalf looked at her with compassion but it looked like there was something in his eyes too, almost like he knew about everything she had said before hand. Daenerys dismissed the thought.

"That makes you a princess. So what is a princess of such a high house doing in Middle Earth? What brought you here?"

"I wanted to start a new life. I have never been really happy before and I thought that moving to an entire new world would help me with that. The only good memories I have are from my childhood when I lived in a house in the city of Braavos. That house had a red door and whenever I think about that door, it makes me happy, it was the only real home I ever had. But I can never go back there and I don't even know if the house is still there."

"Is that all?" Gandalf asked, he sensed that there was more to her story.

"Yes, well… no. There are people who want me dead, namely Robert and his men. They still see me as the biggest threat to the Iron Throne, but I don´t want it. That is why I have chosen to live in exile, to hide from assassinators and because I don't want to be queen."

They were both silent for a while and Daenerys averted her eyes, afraid that she had said too much. When she dared to look at Gandalf he looked like he was lost in thoughts again, taking a few puffs from his pipe. Finally he smiled again, like he had just gotten a good idea, and said:

"Would you like to join me on an adventure?"

"An adventure? What kind of adventure?"

"Me, a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins and a band of thirteen dwarves are going on a mission to take back their kingdom Erebor, or the Lonely Mountain as you say in the common tongue. Long ago, Smaug the Terrible attacked the realm and occupied it."

As Gandalf continued to speak about it, Dany thought about a decision. This could actually give her a purpose, and also a chance to get to know some other species of this world. It didn't take long for her to decide.

"I would love to join you! But who is this Smaug?"

"A dragon, a big dragon whose only love in life is gold and treasures."

 _A dragon?_ Daenerys was terrified. What would they say if she revealed that she carried three dragon eggs with her? She had promised to take care of them and protect them with her life. One day they would hatch and could they accept her having dragons? She suddenly felt uncomfortable and looked down at her lap.

"Oh."

"Is there something wrong?" Gandalf asked, again sensing that there was more to what she was saying than just one word.

"There is something I need to tell you but I need to know if I can fully trust you, it mustn't be revealed to anyone."

"Depends on what it is, but you seem like a good person so you can trust me. But maybe it's for the best if we don't talk about it here, how about going to your room?"

Daenerys nodded and she led the way to where she was going to sleep for the night, luckily the inn keeper had given her a good description on how to find it. It wasn't a big room but for her it was well enough. When they both were inside she locked the door and turned to Gandalf again who had sat down in a chair. Taking a deep breath, she told him about her family's history with dragons and that she had been given the three eggs to be watched over and cherish.

When she was finished, Gandalf furrowed his big eyebrows. He was visibly concerned about what she had just told him. But then he said:

"When those dragons hatch, they might be useful. Do you know when they will hatch and how fast they grow?"

"I have no idea sir, but I would believe they won't hatch until in six months or more. Sure they won't be grown enough in time to battle Smaug?"

"No, but they might become handy in the future, if you do plan to stay in this world."

"I have nowhere else to go right now, so I think I plan to stay." When Daenerys said this she felt sad, realizing that she would never see the house with the Red Door again. But now was not the time to think about the past, she was determined to stay and if she could help with fighting evil there were no excuses. Gandalf seemed satisfied enough with her answer.

"Excellent! There will be a meeting with the dwarves at Bilbo's house in Hobbiton in the Shire in four days and you will join us there. It's just three or four days ride from here and you just follow the road towards east and then you will arrive in Hobbiton. When you do, look for Bag End, which is the name of Bilbo's house. It will probably be easy to find because all the dwarves will arrive quite early and they will be heard from outside. By the way is that your horse in the stable, the light grey one?"

"Yes, she's mine. Her name is Mist and she is a very strong mare, I am happy to have her with me."

"And so you should be, Daenerys Targaryen. She indeed looks like a horse made for long travels in the wilderness. I will see you at Bag End in four days then?" Gandalf rose from his chair preparing to leave.

"I will see you there, sir Gandalf. But do you promise not to tell anyone about my dragons? I will do it myself when I feel the time is right."

"I promise. Farewell Daenerys, have a good and safe journey and see you soon."

"Farewell Gandalf" she said in return but he had already left. That evening Daenerys went to bed with a great feeling of anticipation in her stomach. She wondered how the company would react to a woman joining them, hopefully they would accept her soon enough. With that she fell into a deep sleep, the deepest since she arrived in Middle Earth.


	3. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you all for reading, reviewing and following! I am so happy about the response I have received so far :D Just FYI, this story is based on the TV show "Game Of Thrones" and the "Hobbit" movies so the events happening in this story are based on those and "purists" might not like this story very much. I have to admit that I haven't read the ASOIAF books or Hobbit. Another important thing; English is not my first language so I am sorry for eventual linguistic and grammatic mistakes. Anyway, here is chapter 2, enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 2

The next day Daenerys woke up well rested. She made herself and Mist ready and took off early. Every now and then she glanced at the box with the dragon eggs, smiling and thinking about how big and powerful they might become. The only thing that concerned her about them was how much they would do as she told them. In the past, her family had used whips to tame dragons but Daenerys refused to do that. These would be her children and a mother does not treat her children like pets. As long as she gave them food and they fed themselves well enough there probably wouldn't be any problem, or so she thought.

Just like Gandalf said, Daenerys arrived in Hobbiton four days after she set out from The Golden Leaf. When she had passed the borders of the Shire, she thought she had rode straight into a dream. It was just past noon and the landscape was green, the greenest she had ever seen and you could tell it was in the middle of the summer because the trees and flowers were in full bloom. Everywhere there were small hills and in those hills there were doors. "So they live in them?" Daenerys thought amused. She found it fascinating that they had made small houses in the hills. Every house had a garden with different plants and flowers and from the chimneys smoke rose. But the thing that Daenerys reacted to the most were the hobbits themselves, they were not taller than maybe three or four feet and looked just like adults in children's bodies. They all had curly hair and big, hairy feet without shoes. As she rode by, the hobbits stopped and stared at her "I guess they have never seen a person like me here." she thought embarrassingly. Three hobbit children suddenly stood in her way, making her stop.

"Are you an elf? Your hair is so long and silvery and my mum has told me that elves have silvery hair." One of them said. Daenerys chuckled and replied:

"Thank you! But sorry to disappoint you, I am not an elf, I am just a simple human."

The children stared at her even more and the same child who spoke before spoke again:

"I didn't know humans could be so beautiful, you're the most beautiful human I have ever seen."

"I agree, usually humans looks so angry and sad. It's been a long time since we saw a human happy, or at least here in the Shire. But then, we have never been outside of here." said another and chuckled.

"You look like a princess! Where do you come from?" asked the last one. At that, Daenerys blushed.

"Thank you so much, that was very kind of you. I come from a land very far away across the sea."

She went down from Mist's back and asked the children if they wanted to pat her, which they gladly did. For maybe fifteen minutes she let them play and she couldn't help but smile widely at their joy. Daenerys definitely wanted to have children of her own some day.

As the day went on she stopped to talk to several curious hobbits who wondered what business such a beautiful woman could have in their village. She just said that she was there on a trip to explore parts of the world that were foreign to her. Telling the truth would be far too risky, that she knew. Most of the hobbits she talked to were very nice and Daenerys knew that she would like this place although she wouldn't stay here for long.

Soon evening came and the sun started to set. She still hadn't found Bag End but suddenly she found it, just like Gandalf said you could easily hear the dwarves from outside. It seemed like they were singing. Daenerys became nervous, what would they think about her? Would they accept a woman in their company? Because she assumed it would only be male dwarves and coming from a culture where women were mostly seen as the lesser gender she didn't know what to expect here. But now was not the time to turn back, she tied Mist to a nearby tree, patted her one last time and then knocked on the green, round door. After a while the door opened.

"Look, there are already far too any guests here, I will not accept any more... Oh!"

A hobbit, looking about two heads shorter than her, stood inside looking at Daenerys with wide eyes. "This must be Bilbo." she thought and cleared her throat.

"My name is Daenerys, I think you were expecting me. A wizard named Gandalf told me to come here."

Bilbo stared at her for a few more seconds before finally speaking, sounding rather irritated.

"Sorry no, haven't heard anything. But since there are already so many here, why just not let more people in."

Daenerys became nervous, hadn't Gandalf told Bilbo about her? Was he even there? Luckily she saw him come around a corner and let out a sigh of relief.

"Ah, there you are Daenerys, please come in! Now everyone except one is here who should be here."

Before Daenerys could answer, Gandalf gestured for her to follow him and so she did. She couldn't help but giggle at the fact that he had to bend so much not to hit his head. It was just enough high so she wouldn't have to do that. While they walked she looked quickly around the house, it was quite a mess but very charming. On the walls there were several portraits of who she assumed were relatives to Bilbo. When they came to the kitchen there were twelve several smaller men that she knew almost immediately were dwarves. At first they didn't seem to notice her and Gandalf arriving because they were singing, laughing, eating and seemed to be having a good time in general. Some sat down, some were standing up dancing and some were dancing on the table, they were literally everywhere! _No wonder Bilbo seems to be mad at them, they're making such a mess._ Everywhere there was food and plates and glasses. She had heard on the road about hobbits' passion for food and that turned out to be right. But by the looks of it, dwarves seemed to have that as well.

Gandalf cleared his throat loudly and all the dwarves immediately looked at him.

"My friends, I would like to present to you Daenerys Targaryen. She has come from a land across the sea called Essos and wants to join us on our quest. I have allowed her to do so and I want you to welcome her."

The company looked at her, some with a very questioning look and some with a slightly angry look. Daenerys felt herself blush and looked down, there was no way they would accept her.

"And what use would a girl have in our company?" asked one with a bald head full of tattoos, he seemed to be one of the oldest. "Has she even any weapon, or a horse? Does she know how to fight?"

"Dwalin, she is fully capable of defending herself, aren't you my dear?" Gandalf turned to Daenerys. She didn't know what to say; sure she had used a sword before but not a lot.

"Uhm, yes, yes I think am capable. I have a horse outside, Mist is her name and she is a very strong mare, used to difficult terrain and bad weather. I own a sword and I have used it a few times in defence."

She looked around, the dwarves still looked at her sceptically except one with white hair and a white beard, he looked at her with compassion. Dany felt somewhat relieved and continued to talk.

"Master Gandalf has told me about your home and how a big dragon has invaded it. I come from a family that has housed dragons for our entire existence, maybe I know how to handle this one?"

"Oh no lass, you really don't know what this dragon is like." A funny looking dwarf with a hat on his head spoke. "Smaug the Terrible is a monster. You might have had dragons as pets. But I can tell you that this one is no pet, you cannot tame him. By the way I am Bofur, nice to meet you", he finished with a grin.

Daenerys did not give up. "I want to help you to take your home back. I am not just some "damsel in distress" as you might think. Please, let me come with you. Master Gandalf has already given his approval, in fact it was he who suggested for me to come when I met him a few days ago on the road and…"

Before Daenerys could finish speaking, there were three loud bangs at the door. Immediately the dwarves, including Bilbo who had joined the company again, started to whisper among themselves. This must be the last person who was meant to arrive since Gandalf mentioned there was only one left after Daenerys. She also guessed that it must be a dwarf since there were only twelve dwarves in the house and there was supposed to be thirteen.

Gandalf set out to open the door. A dark, rumbling voice said:

"Gandalf."

"Welcome Thorin, I see you found your way here at last."

"It certainly wasn't easy to find this place, I am sorry I am late. Now where is the host?"

 _That voice,_ Daenerys froze. It was like the voice went straight into her chest and made her feel funny.

Bilbo went with slow steps towards the door and she could hear him presenting himself.

"A halfling?" the booming voice said, "What help is he to us, he probably hasn't even been outside the borders of his village."

When they arrived into the kitchen everyone, including Daenerys, fell silent and stared at the newcomer. This dwarf looked very majestic compared to the others, considering how much authority he seemed to have there was no question that this was the leader of the dwarves _._ He was her height, maybe even one inch or two taller and very broad-shouldered. His hair was long and black with grey streaks here and there, it had two small braids at the front and his beard was long and black too. Over his armour hung a big fur cloak. Daenerys came to focus on his eyes, big and blue they were but also cold and hard as ice. Those eyes soon found hers and she couldn't help but look away.

"Who is this? You brought a girl to join our quest?" he boomed again.

"Thorin, may I present Daenerys of the house Targaryen. Daenerys, this is Thorin Oakenshield, the leader of the dwarves."

Daenerys stared at Thorin and she lowered her head nervously, however not knowing if it was out of courtesy or because of what he just had said about her.

"Pleasure to meet you, my lord." she stammered.

"Why is she here?" Thorin looked at Gandalf angrily, not even bothering to speak back to Daenerys.

"I met her on the road. She comes from Essos across the sea. Her family has owned dragons for as long as they have existed and I thought that maybe she knows how to defeat Smaug? She also has a life experience of conflicts and having to defend herself and others."

"You know very well that beast is no ordinary dragon, he is evil incarnated. This is no quest for a woman! Does she even know how to handle a weapon?"

"Oh please Thorin, give the lass a chance!" the white haired dwarf spoke. "You don't even know her, you have barely spoken to her, and still you judge her like that."

"I agree with Balin!" a young looking dwarf said. "She seems nice at least, why not vote about it? Besides, Gandalf has given his approval and I trust that he is right. Daenerys mentioned that she has used weapons before so there is that answer. Besides, she could always train with us. Oh and my name is Kili." With those last words he turned towards Daenerys and winked at her. She couldn't help but smile, looks they could be charming if they wanted to.

"Aye, let's vote about it!" Bofur said. "Those who think Daenerys should join us, raise your hands."

Some raised their hands immediately, including Balin, Bofur and Kili. Some were doubtful but soon raised theirs as well. Even Bilbo raised his hand after a while. Finally there were only a few who were opposed to it, Thorin being one of them. Kili went towards him and pleaded:

"See uncle, most of us wants her with us. Please, let her come."

Thorin paced the room, his head low so you couldn't see his eyes. Daenerys found herself wanting to see those eyes again, despite the fact the fact that they had only looked at her with anger so far. Why, she had no idea. She was nervous, she desperately wanted to come but then the leader surely must have the final say. Another thing she reacted to was that Kili called him "uncle" which meant they were related. Finally, the dwarf lord stopped pacing:

"All right, she is allowed to come with us. If our wizard has chosen a hobbit as a burglar, then I must trust him in this case as well. Welcome, Daenerys Targaryen."

Thorin stepped forward and held out his hand. She did the same and their hands soon joined. His hand was really big compared to hers and it felt like more like it engulfed her hand than them actually holding each other's. While the stern look in his eyes was gone, she could see that there was still doubt. She knew that if she did something stupid, he would ask her to leave. But she was determined to prove him wrong, just because she was a woman did not mean she was weak or gave up easily. With her hand still in his grip, she kneeled and said:

"Thank you so much my lord. I will do anything to prove that I am fully capable of finishing what we have started. I pledge my allegiance to you, Thorin Oakenshield, and I promise to protect you and fight for you. I will die for you if need be. If I displease you then I will take any consequence that you think I may deserve."

When she came to her feet again, he actually smiled at her although the smile did not reach his eyes.

"I appreciate your courage, Daenerys, but I am warning you one last time. This will be a very dangerous quest and if you feel the slightest unsure, now is the time to say it."

"I am certain, I will go with you." Daenerys kept her eyes fixed on his.

"Very well then." He gave her a quick nod and then turned to Bilbo and pulled out a long piece of paper. "So, this is the hobbit who will help us. Do you have any experience of fighting and if so, what is your weapon of choice? We have axes, swords, daggers, bows and arrows."

Bilbo, who had been watching the newcomer with frightened eyes since the arrival, had no idea what to say. He had never in his life even held a weapon of any sort.

"Uhm, well, I am sorry my lord but I have never used a weapon. I would rather use my head actually."

Thorin looked at him with a stern face and Bilbo knew that he didn't like what he just said.

"I will give you a sword for now. Here is the contract."

He gave the contract to Bilbo who unfolded it slowly. For a long time he stood there without saying a word just reading, and became paler and paler in the face. Daenerys looked at him worried. Finally Bilbo stuttered:

"Ehm, f-f-funeral arrangements?"

"Aye, in case Smaug would rip you to pieces or burn you into a big piece of grilled meat."

Bilbo looked like he had a hard time breathing and looked like he was going to faint at any minute. Daenerys took a few steps towards him but stopped midway when he spoke again:

"I need air, I…"

"Think furnace with wings. Flash of light, searing pain and then POOF, you're nothing more than a pile of ash."

Bilbo looked better for a second, then suddenly let out a "Nope" and fainted right on the spot. Daenerys hurried to him and bent down. Luckily he somewhat hadn't it his head. Instinctively she put one hand on his forehead and the other hand on his pulse, it was low but steady. She turned angrily towards the dwarves.

"Well done Bofur, terrifying him like that. Do you want this quest to go through or not? I do not think you increased the chances of making him join you by this. Gandalf, carry him to the chair in the living room. I will go to get some water."

Gandalf did as she was told but just as he was about to carry Bilbo to the other room, Thorin called for him to come to him.

"I don't think this is a good idea, this halfling will not be able to handle it."

"You must trust me on this Thorin, there is no other who can." Gandalf furrowed his big eyebrows and looked at his dwarven companion with certain eyes.

"Very well. But I will not be responsible for his safety," Thorin looked at Bilbo in the wizard's arms and then at Daenerys who was in the kitchen, "nor will I be responsible for the girl's safety."

Gandalf's look changed to one of worry but he simply nodded and smiled faintly at what Thorin just said.

The rest of the evening went on. Bilbo wasn't out for a long time and as soon as he woke up Daenerys gave him water to drink. No matter how much Gandalf tried to convince Bilbo to join, he did not give in. Daenerys herself started to doubt whether she could join the quest. Many of the dwarves seemed to like her but Thorin still didn't it appeared. She decided to talk to Gandalf about it. When Bilbo had left the room, she went up to him and said:

"Gandalf, I really do not know if I am fitting for this quest. What can I contribute with? It is rather evident that Thorin doesn't want me with them. Also what happens if Bilbo doesn't join?"

"Do not worry, Daenerys Stormborn. Thorin is the way he is, in time you will learn why. Actually, I think you can help us a great deal and especially when it comes to Thorin. You have a good heart, I can see that in your eyes. Also do not worry about Bilbo, I am sure he will change his mind. Tomorrow will be the first of many long days of travel along the road, you still want to come with us right?"

"Of course I want to, more than anything. Thank you for calming my heart Gandalf, without you I don't know where I would have been right now."

"No worries, Daenerys. I will hopefully be there if there is something you want to talk about and if I am not, I am sure the company will be there for you just as you will be for them. There are already a few of them who likes you I can tell, take that as a good sign. Now if you excuse me, I have to speak with the company. You look tired, it's probably for the best if you go to sleep now."

"You are right, I do feel very tired. Also, you can call me Dany if you want to. Most of the people in Essos called me that."

"Well then, goodnight Dany."

He left with a smile on his face and Daenerys also decided to retire for the night. But where would she sleep? She decided to take the sofa, the dwarves would probably have to argue about where to sleep anyway since they were so many. It had been a very long day with many new people and new impressions, no wonder she felt more tired than she had felt in a long time. One person she couldn't stop thinking about, and that was Thorin Oakenshield. Despite him being so cold towards her, there was just something about him. Was it the fact that he was a dwarf lord? That he had probably the most piercing blue eyes she had ever seen? Or was it because of that _voice_ of his? _He is the way he is,_ Gandalf's words echoed in her head. Whatever it was, it made her have a hard time falling asleep, that and the sound of the dwarves still talking to each other. One last time she closed her eyes and hoped sleep would take her.

* * *

Daenerys must have fallen asleep because she woke up to the sound of humming. The dwarves, they were singing, and it sounded beautiful:

 _Far over the Misty Mountains cold_

 _To dungeons deep and caverns old_

 _We must away, ere break of day_

 _To find our long forgotten gold_

 _The pines were roaring on the height_

 _The winds were moaning in the night_

 _The fire was red, it flaming spread_

 _The trees like torches blazed with light_

Thorin's voice could be heard slightly over the others and Dany listened with her eyes closed and her mouth slightly open, there truly was something magical about it. It could be hard and roaring like thunder and at other times soft like a wolf cub's fur. After singing the verses they continued to hum for a while, lulling her to sleep.


	4. Chapter 3

A/N: Hello guys! Sorry for not updating but I haven't had the time to write since it has been Christmas, New Years, work and other stuff in my private life that has gotten in the way. I try to update as often as I can but for now not more than one chapter a month, hope you understand. Again thank you for all the reviews, follows and favs, it really makes me happy. Here we go with chapter 3!

* * *

Chapter 3

 _Next morning_

The next day the company left a few hours after sunrise, everyone except Bilbo who was still sleeping. When Dany stepped up on Mist and then came riding towards the others, they were looking at her and the mare with awe. Of course she wasn't the only one in the company with a big horse since Gandalf also had one, but the dwarves had never seen such a beautiful woman on such a beautiful horse before.

When they had ridden for a while, they heard someone shouting behind them:

"Wait, wait!" It was Bilbo, he had changed his mind after all.

"I have signed the contract." he said looking proud of himself. The white haired dwarf, Balin, took it and looked at it. He stated that everything seemed to be in order and Bilbo was soon given a pony of his own. To everyone's delight, he had some problems with learning how to handle the reins.

They rode for several hours only taking a few short breaks. Dany didn't mind though, she loved riding and it was a lovely day, neither too hot nor to chilly. In the beginning she rode next to Gandalf at the front but the longer the ride went, the more she fell back and rode more among the dwarves. She was riding in silence when Kili suddenly rode up next to her.

"Hey Daenerys, how are you today? You look very lost in thought." he said while looking up at Dany smiling a boyish smile, no doubt trying to impress her.

"I am fine, thank you. It's just so many thoughts going around in my head. All this is still so new to me; this world, all the different people, this quest. I just do not know whether I will ever feel welcome in this group."

"Oh do not worry, why wouldn't they accept such a beautiful woman in their company?" Dany blushed at this, she didn't know whether to feel fluttered or offended by what he said. She knew that he probably meant no harm but she still couldn't help but react.

"I do not want them to accept me because of the way I look, I want them to accept me because I am worthy."

"Of course, I'm sorry. Also, I am sorry for my uncle's behaviour towards you. I know he can be a bit difficult sometimes but you just have to get used to it I guess."

Dany looked around just to see if Thorin was close to them. He was thankfully riding next to Gandalf at the front of the group so there was no chance he would hear them if they spoke quiet enough.

"So, Thorin is your uncle?"

Kili's smile suddenly disappeared and his face became more serious. "Yes, my maternal uncle. My father died when I was very young and he and my mother has taken care of me and my brother Fili ever since. Fili is the one riding over there with the blonde hair." He pointed towards a dwarf who was riding just behind Gandalf whose hair was very blonde compared to the other dwarves. She remembered seeing him at Bilbo's house as well but could never guess that he and Kili were brothers, they didn't look alike at all.

"I am sorry to hear about your father's death. My parents died when I was very young too." After saying this, Dany for the first time since arriving felt a strong sense of longing, back to the house with the Red door. She was overcome by emotion and stared straight forward, trying to keep a neutral face until she felt Kili nudge her left shoulder.

"Hey, you alright?"

"Yes, sorry. I just got lost in thought." Dany shook her head, she couldn't show herself so vulnerable, not now. If she did, she knew the others, or at least Thorin, would probably consider her weak. Luckily, Kili seemed to sense her discomfort so he changed the subject:

"This horse you have, she is very beautiful." The boyish smile was back in an instant. Dany felt her self lighten up again.

"Thank you. Yes she is indeed. Her name is Mist and I bought her just before I took the boat over here. Hopefully she can stay with us but I trust her, it feels like we have a special bond." Daenerys bent forward and patted and scratched Mist's neck slightly and the mare let out a sound of satisfaction.

"One might not think it, but we dwarves are actually rather good with horses."

Dany smirked, "Really? Well to be honest I would never think that."

"Aye, there are lots of things you will learn from and about us that you would never think of. You know what else I am good at? Handling a bow and arrow. Actually I am the best archer of this company. If you want to, I would love to show you some of my skills and teach you archery..."

"Kili! That's enough!"

Both Dany and Kili looked up to see Thorin riding slightly in front of them. When did he get there? For how long had he been listening to their conversation? Had he heard anything at all? They both became nervous.

"But uncle, I was just trying to make our guest feel welcome. Cannot possibly be anything wrong with that? Just because you don't appear to like her doesn't mean that us other dwarves must show the same attitude…"

"I said _enough_ , do you understand?" Thorin stared his nephew right in the eyes.

"Yes uncle, sorry." With those words Kili followed Thorin to the front. Right before they set of, Thorin's and Dany's eyes met. Despite what she just had watched and despite that it was only for a split second, Dany still felt the same thing as before when she made eye contact with him. _What is this? Why am I feeling this way? This man is not nice, or is he really?_ Daenerys thought about this for the rest of the day without being able to find an answer.

* * *

Evening came and the company set up a camp near some big rocks. Thorin and both of his nephews had found a group of stags and managed to kill five of them, finding enough food to feed the whole group. Bofur and a round, red haired dwarf named Bombur prepared the food. Now Daenerys was rather sure she had learnt what all the dwarves were called. There was one who only spoke Dwarvish, he had an axe stuck in his head and Gandalf told her that it was because of that he didn't speak the common tongue. Then there was Ori, Nori and Dori, three brothers where Ori was the youngest. Bombur and Bofur were brothers and Bifur was their cousin. Dwalin, the bald one with the many tattoos, and Balin, the white haired one, were brothers. Lastly there was Óin and Glóin, another pair of brothers. Óin always had an ear trumpet with him because of slight impairment of hearing. All of them had now spoken to Dany in one way or another and while some still seemed hesitant, like Dwalin and of course Thorin, most of them had opened up and acted friendly towards her.

After they had eaten, Daenerys decided that she wanted to be alone for a while to think. Since they left Hobbiton she hadn't had the chance to be alone and now she felt the need was extra big since the dwarves were all extremely loud and most of them could never keep their mouths closed. She went up to Gandalf to tell him.

"Sir Gandalf, I need to walk away for a little while, just to have some time for myself. The dwarves are so noisy and I cannot think straight in their company right now."

Gandalf looked at her with suspicious and worried eyes, the bushy eyebrows making his expression more prominent. "I don't know if I want to let you go out there on your own, Daenerys. There could be many dangers."

"Do not worry, I won't go that far, just enough so I won't be able to hear the dwarves shouting too much. I can take care of myself, if I get into danger I will scream the loudest I can. A woman sometimes needs her privacy." She said the last sentence with a smirk, hoping to convince the grey wizard.

"All right, but take your sword with you. If you are gone for too long then we will come looking for you." Though he obliged to her request, the worry still did not leave his eyes.

"Thank you Gandalf! I promise I will be back soon." With those words, Dany went to take her sword and then into a small forest nearby. The sword was given to her just before they left Bag End and while she had handled a sword before, it still felt foreign to her. When she left Essos, her only weapon had been a dagger and a small shield. There was no doubt she would have to use the sword on the journey so from now on she decided to always have it with her wherever she went.

The dwarves had watched Daenerys talk to Gandalf and when she went away the asked several questions at once:

"Where is she going?"

"Why did you let her go out there on her own?"

"A woman cannot defend herself, she needs someone with her!"

"She's so young, we have to go after her!"

"SILENCE!" Gandalf roared. "Daenerys needed some time on her own. These days have been full of new impressions and there are many thoughts going around in her head. Please, let her be. I trust that she can take care of herself. I told her to bring her sword and she would scream if something is about to happen. If she doesn't come back in half an hour, we will go looking for her."

The dwarves mumbled among them selves and nodded in agreement to what Gandalf said. What neither them nor Daenerys had noticed was that one dwarf in particular hadn't said a thing during the whole time but instead watched Daenerys the whole way as she left the camp until she was nowhere in sight.

As Daenerys went into the forest she soon came to a glade, the moon and the stars shone on it making it almost look like daylight. A slight breeze made the trees and high grass wave. Aside from a couple of bird sounds and the sound of trees, it was silent. Dany closed her eyes, took a couple of deep breaths and felt the scent of lush green nature fill her nostrils. When she opened her eyes again she was able to fully take in the sight before her. It was so beautiful and all the surroundings along with Dany's heavy mind made her cry, she couldn't hold back anymore. She slowly sank down on her knees on the soft, slightly damp ground. Several things and several people went through her head at once; Viserys and his abuse, the house with the red door, the dwarves and their judging looks, Jorah and his protectiveness. _Jorah._ Right now she missed her former knight and wished he had come with her. He was always there for her and gave her advice when she needed it the most, he had been her rock and now she didn't have him anymore, she felt like she had no one

"Why does it have to be so difficult?" she sniffled quietly, "Why does being a woman have to be so difficult? If I hadn't been a woman then they would accept me right away." Suddenly, Dany straightened herself and shook her head, "No, you are Daenerys Targaryen and a mother of dragons to be. Stand up for yourself, show him that you are capable of this."

 _Him._ That was all she could muster until she saw Thorin's piercing eyes in her mind and sank to the ground again, all energy suddenly gone. She didn't know if it was because of the intensity of those eyes or if it was his nature that made her feel like this. It was so strange, sometimes she felt scared of him and sometimes she felt like she wanted nothing more than getting to know him and to understand him. There was no doubt that this particular dwarf affected her more than the others. She found herself going back and forth in her mind, just like after her and Kili's conversation, making her cry harder again.

* * *

Dany sat in the glade for she did not know how long, it almost felt like time had stopped. She cried and cried, feeling the tension in her body leave for every big sob. What she did not know was that she was being watched.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Daenerys tears had finally stopped falling but she could still feel traces of them on her cheeks. Her sadness had been replaced by an overwhelming tiredness, no doubt caused by mental exhaustion rather than physical. Right now she wanted nothing more than sleep, but she also realized that she had been gone for quite a long time. _What if they are looking for me? I need to go back! If only I could close my eyes for one minute, just one minute…_

"Daenerys!

Dany immediately opened her eyes and looked around, trying to register where the voice came from but she couldn't see anyone. Realizing that she must have fallen asleep, she shook her head in an effort to wake up more fully. Slowly she rose to her feet and nudged her eyes, which still felt heavy from sleep. Before she could call back, the voice shouted again, closer this time.

"Daenerys!"

"Dany looked behind her and to her great surprise, Thorin was standing right where she had entered the glade, maybe twenty meters from where she now was. He stood completely still with his hands down at his sides, his legs slightly apart and his eyes focused on her. The moon shone on his face, making his blue eyes look like two big shiny glass globes. Was it even possible to have such beautiful eyes as he had? _No, stop it, now is not the time._ She shouted back at him:

"My lord! What are you doing out here? I thought Gandalf had told you all that I wanted to be for myself for a while." It came out louder than she had expected it to, worrying that maybe she should be careful in case there were enemies out there looking for them. Also how would he react to her screaming at him?

"You have been gone for two hours now. You simply cannot walk out here on your own like that for so long. We became worried for you and I decided to go looking for you."

 _Only him?_ "Why did you come here on your own, where are the others?"

"Yes. It was Gandalf who wanted me to go out looking for you. My nephews and Balin wanted to join as well but both me and Gandalf insisted that I would look for you alone. There are some things I would like to speak to you about as well."

When he said that, Daenerys felt scared. Had she displeased him so much? Realizing that there was no use in them standing there screaming towards each other, she went over to where he stood in a slow pace and stopped a few meters in front of him. Trying to look proud, she straightened her back, took a deep breath and dared to look him right in the eyes. Then she calmly said:

"How long had you been watching me?"

"Not for more than fifteen minutes or so. I heard and then saw you cry but I did not know what to do. After that you were quiet for quite some time and then your head went down, you were completely still. I realized that you had probably fallen asleep and that's when I decided to call for you."

"So she hadn't been asleep for a long time then? Dany appreciated his honesty and with him saying that he didn't know how to handle someone crying, she actually felt sympathy for him. He seemed like a troubled man, a man who had been so troubled by his own mind for so long that he didn't longer know how to comfort another person. She smiled faintly and also got curious, why did he find it so difficult to comfort others? Of course, Smaug and what he did to the people of the Lonely Mountain must have affected him tremendously. He also didn't seem like someone who would open up about his feelings to anyone. _Men, how typical._ Thorin was surely a complex man but now she felt it wasn't the time to ask him questions, instead she decided to thank him.

"Thank you for coming and searching for me, I appreciate it. Also thank you for waking me up. I shouldn't have gone this far, I am sorry. You must be angry with me my lord. You said you wanted to talk to me, about what?"

For the first time since they met, Thorin looked at her with kindness. There was warmth in his eyes that she hadn't seen before. He closed the distance between them even more so that they now were just one meter apart. It felt unusual to her, to stand in front of a man who was actually her size.

* * *

Was he angry with her? He should be. She had been gone for far too long and it was in his nature to tell her that she had done wrong, especially since she was not from this world. Those people always needed to be told twice. Also, this was a woman and women could be stubborn, that he knew. Still, he didn't feel like that with Daenerys. Instead he felt compassion after seeing her sit there in the glade all alone. He had realized that this was just a young human being who left everything and everyone she knew behind to travel and discover a completely different world. His eyes went from their usual hardness to softness, he felt both his face and himself relax. Even his mind seemed to calm down in a way it hadn't done in several years. Never had he seen someone so vulnerable as Daenerys at that moment. But, she still needed to know that this was not going to be accepted and that she has to follow the rules.

"I would not say I'm angry, but I'm disappointed in you Daenerys Targaryen. You could easily have been killed. There are dangers lurking around every bush, every tree and every stone. When you sat there and had no idea what was happening around you, anything or anyone could have attacked you."

Dany frowned and looked at him with shiny violet eyes. Those eyes had him fascinated the first time he saw them although he didn't show it.

"I did have my sword with me. Do you still think that I cannot defend myself? Even Gandalf trusts me to go out on my own." She still kept her voice rather calm, much to Thorin's surprise.

"That still doesn't mean that you can go as far as you want. Gandalf may be our advisor but I am the leader and it's me you are all supposed to obey. Also, you fell asleep Daenerys. You could be dead in just one moment had someone attacked you!"

His voice rose to a tone he hadn't used yet while speaking to Daenerys. He had promised himself to keep calm but could feel the anger rise, the uncontrollable anger he had been suffering with since Smaug the Terrible destroyed his home. It made him blind, it was almost like he wasn't a part of this world when the rage reached its peak. As soon as he came back, he sometimes had none or very little memory of what he was doing. It scared him because this was one of the symptoms of Dragon-sickness; a sickness you can contract when you come in contact with treasure guarded by a dragon. It causes you to become greedy and selfish and Thorin knew this, he knew this far too well. What would happen if he actually developed it? He had often wondered how he would be able to lead the forces against Smaug and their other enemies. Now he felt it again, he felt himself disappear into some different world where time didn't exist. Soon he would lose himself again and he closed his eyes and waited, and waited…

"My lord!"

"He felt himself come back, except for the fact that he had been somewhat present the whole time. Before he had never known who called for him when he had these moments, but now he immediately knew that it was Daenerys, the young woman from across the sea, who called for him this time. Thorin was never completely gone, and it felt so unreal. He sensed the slight breeze and the coolness of the night. Everything was so clear; he smelled all the different scents of the forest and saw the trees and bushes in the pale moonlight. The dwarf prince took a few deep breaths and felt himself relax again, his shoulders sunk and it was as if all his senses had been reborn. He had never felt so much in the present for a long time.

 _How could that be?_

 _"_ My lord, are you alright?"

Thorin saw Daenerys stretch out her right hand towards him and he became even calmer. Without thinking, he lifted his left hand and took her tiny one in his.

"Yes, yes I am alright."

"What happened?" She looked at him worryingly, "You looked like you were about to faint. At first you screamed at me, then your eyes had this empty look and your mouth was half open. Then your eyes closed and I called for you. I got really afraid there. We need to go back to the camp, the others are surely worried about us and maybe they are out there looking for us."

 _"It was thanks to you that I did not faint…_ The thought took Thorin by surprise, so much surprise that he had to clear his throat before he answered her.

"Sometimes I become a bit… detached. I do not know what it is but it's nothing to worry about. Usually it happens when I am upset about something." He couldn't tell her the truth, she would think him mad, "You're right, we really should go back before the others come looking for us."

* * *

Daenerys's head was a storm of thoughts. What she had just witnessed was one of the scariest things she had ever seen, and then she had seen blood pour and body parts fly in battle. She had even seen many people getting killed. But this was something else. He had stared at her with a look that was completely empty and he was completely still, as if the body was there but the soul had left it and he was dead but still not. _Usually it happens when I am upset about something._ Dany wondered how it was if he got angry for real, she didn't want to see him that way again. Not that she was afraid of him but more because she pitied him. Another thing she couldn't stop thinking about was the fact that they held hands and how safe and natural it felt. They were so different; his hand was big and calloused, clearly marked from battle because she could see many scars on it. It felt rough against her but also warm. One finger of his was almost the size of three fingers of hers. When she looked him in the eyes again, they looked relaxed. Actually, his whole appearance was relaxed and she wondered what made him change that way.

"If this happens every time you become upset I am very sorry, I will try not to make it happen again." When she had said that, he took a step forward which brought them even closer together. It shocked her so she almost wanted to take a step back but by intuition she stayed on the spot. The distance was not more than maybe a foot and he let go of her hand, instead he put it on her shoulder. She could feel herself grow warm and her breathing quickened, it was like she neither could nor would move. Thorin looked into her eyes, the moon reflecting itself in those big, blue orbs. He said in a low voice, almost a whisper:

"Do not worry, just think one extra time before you do and never leave yourself unguarded. Will you please promise me that?"

By now their faces were just a few inches apart, Daenerys could feel Thorin's breath on her face and it was like his whole presence made her feel weak in the knees. She still couldn't figure out what this feeling was because she had never experienced it before, the only thing she knew was that it felt good and she certainly didn't want it to stop. Remembering how to breath properly and with her heart hammering in her chest she said back in an almost just as low voice:

"Yes, I promise you my lord Thorin."

He then smiled at her, it was just a tiny smile but a smile nonetheless. Dany smiled back and he then let go of her shoulder. Immediately she felt strange, like something precious had been taken away from her.

"Shall we go then?" Thorin motioned back to where they came from with his head, still with a tiny smile on his lips. Dany smiled back and they started to walk side by side towards the camp.

"Thank you again my lord. To be honest, I didn't think you cared for me at all."

"You are in my company and my allied now, I must care for you like I care about everybody else." The usual hard tone in his voice was back and he didn't look at her while he spoke, just straight forward. She could glimpse his usual stone hard face from the side. _The old Thorin Oakenshield is back , the one that is well known among the dwarves._

* * *

They walked the rest of the way in silence, Dany not daring to say anything. When they arrived back at the camp, all the dwarves and Gandalf were still up waiting for them. They were happy to see them both alive and some of them started to ask Dany questions about where she had been and why she went out there on her own. Gandalf soon gathered them all, wanting them to calm down.

"Everyone, the hour is late and we need sleep as much as possible. Please, let Daenerys be for tonight." Gandalf then turned towards Dany who had taken her place next to him, "Are you alright my dear?"

"I am alright Gandalf, if Thorin hadn't found me then maybe I wouldn't be here now. He found me when I was not… aware of my surroundings, so to speak. I will retire for the night now. May you all sleep well."

Dany went to the place where she had made up her bed. The dwarves started to whisper among them and then went to Thorin to ask him questions about where he found her and what they spoke about. But Balin stood by himself away from the group just observing them and especially his leader. He noticed that Thorin looked different, his shoulders were more relaxed and so were his facial features. The hard look in his eyes was still there but not nearly as intense as before and now and then they wandered towards Daenerys as she prepared herself for sleep.

"Are you thinking the same as I do, Master Balin?"

"Gandalf suddenly turned up beside the old dwarf who looked back at him, not understanding what he meant at first. Gandalf motioned first toward Thorin, who now had retired to his sleeping quarters as well, and then towards Dany. Balin finally understood and smiled towards him.

"Aye, I think I do. I can understand now why you only wanted him to go searching for the lass. She can obviously make him feel better about this. But what will happen when she sees him become like _that_? Almost no one is safe then and especially not she.

"Only time will tell. She has already seen some of it and I trust that Daenerys is the one to help him. She is not old but she is already strong. It will take time but we have to be patient."

"I hope you are right, Gandalf. We need him to be at his very best in the battle that is coming up, if not then we might as well give up."

"Patience my friend, patience. For now, we must focus on the road ahead. Let's go to sleep before the sun rises, it might only be a few hours left."

"You're right, I am sorry. We do need sleep and I feel there is rain in the air, think I might move my things to another place. Good night Gandalf."

"Good night, Master Balin."

They both separated and went to bed, hoping that Dany would be the one to cure for Thorin's plagued mind.


	6. Chapter 5

A/N: HI everyone! I am so so sorry for the delay, I have had so much to do IRL and haven't had the time to write. I promise that I will try to update a bit more often. This chapter is slightly longer than the ones I have published so far and I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

Chapter 5

 _Next morning_

Daenerys woke up after a night full of disturbed sleep. She went to bed very late to begin with and when she tried to sleep she couldn't because her head was racing with thoughts. Sleep had only come in short periods. Last night's little adventure had left its mark on her mind. She had gone out alone with no one to guard her in a completely unaccustomed forest, decided to sit in a glade where anyone could attack her and then fall asleep! She should be ashamed of herself. But what really made her have a hard time sleeping was the fact that Thorin Oakenshield had come out to search for her, alone at that. He said that it was Gandalf who wanted him to go on his own, but why? Dany knew that wizards could be full of strange ideas that no one knew about until they became reality but what did he have in mind yesterday? She wanted to ask him but felt that there was probably no use, he would probably only give her a cryptic answer that would leave her wondering even more.

Today it was raining and as Dany went to where the dwarves and Gandalf had gathered to eat their breakfast she noticed that they were all soaked just like her self. At least she wore pants and not a dress like she mostly used to do back in Essos. Together with the grey pants she wore a rather thin, grey-green shirt with a vest over it, which she could button up. Over that she wore a jacket made of wolf skin that gave rather good protection from the rain but right now Dany felt soaked anyway. She had other garments she could change into but now was not the time with so many men around, she would probably have to wait until evening came. They hadn't been able to find a shelter so they were all sitting under the trees the best they could, although it clearly didn't help. As she came up to them they all cheered on her and wished her a good morning. Bilbo, who had been absent last night when she and Thorin had come back, was also sitting with the dwarves. "He must have fallen asleep early." Dany thought. She sat down and was handled a piece of meat by Balin, water she had brought herself.

"So, what are today's plans?" She asked and looked around.

"We continue just like we have done so far, going as much to the east as we can." Thorin answered, neutral in his tone and not looking at her. Dany couldn't help but feeling a bit disappointed at that. There was another thing, would they have the same routine every day and night? When she had travelled during her time in Essos she remembered how people were affected by not stopping for rest for more than maybe a day. Of course, there the weather had been basically sun and heat every day which wasn't the case here, but exhaustion could still be a huge factor.

"I know our final destination is Erebor, but isn't there a place where we could find longer shelter and rest properly? We cannot ride every day, we need to stay at some place, like a city or village, for at least a few days."

"There is one place, the Hidden Valley, also going by the name of Rivendell and Imladris in Elvish. It's an elven city, ruled by lord Elrond Half Elven. I am sure we would be welcome there." Gandalf said. Thorin however, looked up angrily at the wizard.

"Elves, do you really think I would seek the shelter of elves after what they did? No Gandalf, there is no way that I would go there."

"But we have a map that none of us can read. If we asked it of them, I am most certain that they would help us with it." Gandalf retorted but Thorin stood by himself.

"I told you Gandalf, I will NOT seek the help of elves. They did not help us then and they will not help us now. Trust me, I know them."

With that, Thorin went up and left the company. Gandalf looked after him, mumbling something that Dany could not understand but by the tone of it he was rather irritated. Some of the older dwarves gave a huge sigh and shook their heads, as if this was something that happened rather often. Fili and Kili looked upset, obviously bothered by their uncle's behaviour. Bilbo looked confusedly around him, not sure what to do or say. Daenerys couldn't help but feeling bothered as well. What was Thorin talking about? Why was he so angry at the elves? She wanted to go after him but decided against it.

"What was that all about?" she asked the grey wizard.

"It is a long story. A long time ago when Smaug the Terrible attacked Erebor, Thorin saw the elven king Thranduil on a nearby hill along with his army. But instead of helping the dwarves he turned away, not wanting to risk the lives of his kin against the big beast. Ever since, Thorin and the other dwarves of Erebor had to flee, wandering in the wild looking for a new home and work to live for the day. That is the reason why Thorin and dwarves in general hates the elves. However I wouldn't encourage you to press him about it Daenerys, as you can see it is a very tender point. It's for the best to leave him alone."

Daenerys could see that indeed. Gandalf was right, now was not the time to ask Thorin about such things. He had not gone far, she could see him sitting on a rock maybe a hundred meters away with his face in his hands. Was he crying? No, he sure wasn't. There was no way he would show such emotions while still being so close to his men.

"I promise that I won't, Gandalf. But mustn't we leave soon? When will he return?"

"He will return soon enough. We should start packing our things, there is no use in lingering here." He turned to the others who were already busy with collecting their belongings. "We leave as soon as we can! Do not worry about your leader, he will catch up with us."

"Oh I am sure he will, when he is in that mood then no one can outrun him on a horse." Dany heard Balin say to Bilbo in a rather hushed tone. When Balin passed Dany on his way to where the horses were tied up, he smiled at her. It was a smile that Dany felt had more meaning to it than just him being nice towards her.

Soon everyone had tied loose their ponies and Dany had done the same with Mist. They rode the whole day without any problems meeting them on the road. When evening came they stopped by an old cabin that had seen its best days, only the remains was left.

"We camp here for the night" Thorin shouted, "Fili, Kili! Look after the ponies, make sure you stay with them."

Dany watched as Gandalf inspected what was left of the cottage.

"A farmer and his family used to live here. I think it would be wiser to move on. We could make for the Hidden Valley."

Thorin came walking towards him. "I told you already, I will not go near that place."

"The elves could help us. We could get food, help, advice…"

"I don't need their advice."

"We have a map we cannot read, lord Elrond could help us."

"Help? A dragon attacks Erebor, what help came from the elves? Orcs plunder Moria, desecrate our sacred halls. The elves looked on and did nothing! You ask me to seek out the very people who betrayed my grandfather and betrayed my father."

"You are neither of them. I did not give you that map and key for you to hold on to the past…"

"I did not know it was yours to keep."

Gandalf turned away from the dwarf, clearly irritated. He walked past the rest and Bilbo asked:

"Everything alright? Gandalf, where are you going?"

"To seek the company of the only one around here who's got any sense?"

"Who?"

"Myself mister Baggins! I have had enough of dwarves for one day."

Dany panicked, where was he going? He couldn't leave even just for temporary. She decided to go after him and try to convince him to stay.

"Gandalf! Please stay, you know how he can be. We cannot finish this quest without you, we…"/

"Silence, Daenerys Stormborn!" Gandalf almost shouted, frustrated. He towered over her and looked at her with something menacing in his eyes and it made Dany scared. After a few seconds his eyes returned to normal again.

"I need some time on my own. Thorin will lead you from now on and you must be at his side, helping him in his decisions."

Dany's eyes widened, what did he mean by helping? She was not prepared for this nor was she a leader.

"No Gandalf, I cannot do this, not without you. Thorin will not allow me to help him either."

Gandalf put his hand on Dany's shoulder. "In time he will, Daenerys. In time he will."

With that, Gandalf left. Daenerys stood watching him for a minute before returning to where the others had started to make sleeping arrangements.

* * *

Evening came. Everything was calm except for everyone talking and Bofur had just asked Bilbo to go to Fili and Kili to bring them some food. Thorin was again away from the company, he sat on a stone looking out over the wilderness. Again, Daenerys felt like she wanted to go to him. They hadn't spoken to each other since morning and while looking at him she felt sadness inside her heart. After he had told her about his past she felt compassion for him. She just wished he didn't isolate himself like this, it does nothing for neither himself nor everybody around him. As she continued to watch him, she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. Quickly turning around, she gave out a relieved sigh noticing it was just Balin.

"You all right lass?"

She smiled weakly, her mouth closed, looking down at her hands "Yes, thank you. I am just concerned about…"

"Thorin? We all are and especially me. I have known him since he was a child you know."

Dany looked at the white haired dwarf in shock. "How did you know that I…?"

"Oh Dany, it is not difficult to see. I have been observing you both. The way you look at him and the way he looks at you when he thinks that no one sees. But I know him too well and I haven't seen him do so in a very long time, trust me."

Dany couldn't really understand what he meant, or did she not want to understand?

"Yes, I admit that I am concerned about him. But what are you talking about otherwise? Are you saying that he could have feelings for me?"

Balin laughed, "I am not saying that, I am just saying that I see something in him that I haven't seen in a long time."

Daenerys turned again towards where Thorin sat, he was still looking out in the distance.

"I admit that I wish I could help him, I really do." She sighed.

"And I think you will. You are a brave woman, Daenerys Targaryen. Soon our leader will see that as well."

Dany turned towards him and smiled again, this time her smile reached the eyes. However, they didn't have the time to talk more until they heard both Fili and Kili come running and shouting.

"Help! Trolls have taken the ponies!"

Everyone gathered around the two brothers.

"Where is Bilbo?" asked Nori.

"He… we told him to try to rescue the ponies since he is so small and the trolls are so stupid so maybe they won't notice him."

"Didn't I tell you two to look after the ponies?"

Without anybody noticing, Thorin had rejoined the company and he was now on his way to his nephews and everyone stared at him, nervously expecting what was to come.

"I ask one thing of you and what do I get in return?" he had now stopped right in front of them, "Where is Bilbo? Do not tell me you left him on his own with the trolls?"

The brothers looked at each other and then at their uncle, shame all over their faces, "Yes we did. We thought that since he is even smaller than us he might be able to sneak into the trolls' camp and release the ponies. Please uncle, forgive us."

"What were you thinking? You sent a completely inexperienced halfling into a situation where he will most likely get killed if we don't save him. We have to go there!

All the other dwarves started to cheer in what sounded like a war cry. Dany stood there watching it all.

"Brothers, to the troll camp!" Thorin shouted. The dwarves ran in the same direction that Fili and Kili had come from. Dany managed to grab Thorin's arm before he could start to run and he turned towards her.

"I will come too." She said

"No Daenerys, it is far too dangerous. You better stay here and stay guard." He turned around to follow the others but she grabbed him again.

"No Thorin! Please, I want to fight, I want to show that I am capable to fight."

Thorin's face did not change and neither did his decision "I said 'no', there will come a time for you to fight but it is not now. Someone has to stay here to guard the camp, otherwise more things might get stolen. Now do as I say and no more questions!"

With that he finally latched his arm free and ran after the rest. Dany stood there, watching him disappear among the trees. _I will surely show him when the time comes…_

* * *

She didn't know how long she waited, but it was for her to grow impatient and also worried. After all, they were fighting three trolls and Dany was sure that it was not easy fight. Poor Bilbo, he was probably completely defenceless. _What if he is dead? What if Thorin is dead?_ Dany slipped out of her thoughts. She finally decided to go. Before she went in the direction of the dwarves, she went up to Mist who Dany wanted to have at camp and not together with the ponies. That had turned out to be a very good decision, she could have been troll food now as well. Dany stroke the mare's nose and calmly spoke to her:

"Give me strength, my beauty."

Mist nudged her owner in a way that Daenerys knew well and it made her calm and gave her courage. She was again so thankful to have this wonderful horse with her and that it was only hers, her own! With a final pat, Dany went to get her sword and then into the forest.

* * *

It didn't take long until she heard voices and when she did she lowered her pace. Soon she could see the light of a fire and three, huge trolls walking around it. With big eyes did she watch them, their skin was grey and had they looked like big moving pieces of stone. Not until she came even closer did she notice that the dwarves were tied to a pole that one of the trolls rotated above the fire as if they were pigs. But not all the dwarves were there, one group including Thorin and his nephews were lying on the ground in sacks. Dany had to put a hand over her mouth not to let out any sound. Bilbo stood on the ground talking to the trolls, it sounded like he tried to explain how to cook the dwarves but after one troll lifted Bombur up Bilbo shouted:

"No not that one, he is infected!"

"You what?"

"He's got worms in his… tubes."

Right after Bilbo had said that, the troll immediately dropped Bombur to the ground so he landed right on Kili who let out a painful sound. Although she shouldn't, Dany couldn't help but laugh at Bilbo's attempt to help.

"In fact they all have, they're infested with parasites. It's a terrible business! I wouldn't risk it, I really wouldn't."

The other dwarves got angry and said things like "We don't have parasites, you have parasites". Both Dany and Bilbo rolled their eyes, didn't they understand that he was just trying to help? However, Dany could see Thorin kick Kili and it was evident that he knew what was going on. When the others finally got the plan, it started to sound more like this:

"I've got parasites as big as my arm!"

"Mine are the biggest parasites, I've got huge parasites!"

Suddenly, Dany felt someone touch her shoulder. She was about to let out a scream but a foreign hand held her mouth. Scared, she turned her head around but was relieved when she saw who it was as he shushed her and let his hand go of her mouth.

"Gandalf! You came back."

"Yes, I just had to be away for a while from all the stupidity that might come out from a dwarf's mouth sometimes. Will you help me, I know how to save them."

"Of course I will! What do we have to do?"

"Come with me."

Dany followed him to a party of rocks on the other side. All the time they had to walk as quietly as they could and be careful not to step on any sticks or stones that could reveal them. They climbed up and as they did, Dany noticed that the sun was coming up.

"You see Daenerys, when the sun hits these trolls they turn into stone. All we have to do is to break this big stone here so the sun can shine on them. I will break it with my staff and you will help me push it apart as it does so. Do you understand?"

Daenerys felt privileged, "Yes Gandalf."

"Well then.", the wizard smiled and climbed up. Turning to where the trolls and dwarves were he shouted:

"The dawn will take you all!"

Then he put his staff down hard on the rock, cracking it and soon the stone was broken in two. Dany understood that this was the time to push, so she pushed one half to the side while Gandalf took the other. It was a heavy stone but both finally managed to break it apart completely. As soon as the sunshine hit the trolls they immediately turned into stone. Dany couldn't believe what she was seeing, she certainly didn't know that this kind of magic existed. It looked like the dwarves couldn't believe their eyes either but it didn't take long until they let out laughter of relief instead.

Thorin looked up towards where Gandalf and Daenerys stood and smiled a rare smile where his teeth showed. When her eyes met with the dwarf lord's she could swear that his smile widened, or it could be her imagination. She smiled back.

* * *

For the next minutes Dany, Bilbo and the dwarves were busy helping each other out of the sacks and tying up the ropes that had held their hands and feet tied together while being imprisoned. Dany had just helped Ori to his feet when she felt a powerful hand touch her left arm. It was like she knew by intuition that it was Thorin so she turned around.

"Can we talk?"

Dany looked at Ori and he smiled as if confirming he was all right. She then looked back at Thorin and nodded. He started to walk and she followed suit, not stopping until they were apart from the rest. When Thorin had stopped walking he turned around to face her again, looking stern but Dany could see that he also was a bit nervous.

"You disobeyed me, I told you to stay at camp. But I suppose I still have to thank you, Daenerys, for helping our wizard in freeing us. I am also sorry for doubting you before, you have certainly proven that you are a smart woman."

Dany couldn't believe her ears, did he just complement her? "Well, thank you my lord. It was completely Gandalf's idea with the breaking of the stone. There are yet many things for me to prove."

Thorin took one step closer, leaned forward and said in a rumbly voice: "Gladly, I am looking forward to that. But now we must continue, there is still a long road ahead. Also we must hope that nothing has been stolen from our camp."

He then did something that surprised Dany, he held out her hand to her. Reluctantly she took it and they went back to the others. Dany could feel herself growing warm and her heart beat fast. He did let go of her hand before they had the others in sight but she thought about what Balin had told her earlier, was the great dwarf lord actually fond of her? She didn't have the time to think about it any longer because they had now joined the rest of the group and Gandalf ordered them to go back to the camp to fetch their things.

Dany was so happy to see that Mist was all right, she also looked well rested so she had probably been able to sleep during her time away. With a swift movement Dany went up in the saddle and patted her neck. Now that she was the only horse left in the company that meant she had to carry some of the others' things as well, she was a strong mare however so that wouldn't be a problem as long as she got her periods of rest. When everyone was finished and the sun stood high in the sky the company set off, Dany and Gandalf at the front.


	7. Chapter 6

A/N: Hi everyone! I hope you're enjoying my story so far. As you notice I make changes from the original story now and then and that is only so it will fit with Daenerys being in Middle Earth. Thank you for reviewing :) Here is chapter 6!

* * *

Chapter 6

Since the company left the Trollshaws everything had gone rather smoothly. They had come to a troll cave where they found treasure, lots of it. They also figured out the cave belonged to the three trolls they had met in the forest before. The only things they brought with them however were three swords; Orcrist, Glamdring and Sting. High Elves in a city named Gondolin a long time ago forged Glamdring, Dany learned. Gandalf took it as his own sword. Thorin took Orcrist, which was also forged by High Elves in Gondolin. Gandalf called it "the mate of Glamdring" without really explaining what that meant. The last sword, Sting, wasn't really a sword but an Elven knife. Gandalf gave it to Bilbo and since it was small, Bilbo would probably be able to use it as a sword without any problems.

Daenerys rode in silence, reflecting on the events that had occurred during the last couple of days. They had met up with another wizard, Radagast the Brown, who lived in the forest in what Dany saw as a combination of a hut and a tree. In fact he lived under tree roots. He had told them about meeting the Necromancer at Dol Guldur. The Necromancer was also known as Sauron, the dark lord who many years ago made the One Ring, a ring that according to Gandalf had the power to enslave all people in Middle Earth. But only if Sauron got it back. Where the ring was now, no one knew. Dany was curious about this, she had overheard Gandalf and Radagast discuss it on their own and couldn't resist asking them what they had been talking about. Clearly not wanting to say anything they still gave her a very short explanation, which is why she wanted to know more. She was unsure whether to ask him or not but decided to do it.

"Are there more rings like that, like the ring that you and Radagast spoke about?" She asked the wizard as they walked across the plains. Luckily they were slightly ahead of the others so there was no risk that they would be heard.

"There are, but not nearly as powerful as the one that Sauron wants. Three rings were made for the elves, seven for the dwarf lords and nine were given to the race of men. Sauron made these rings to try to seduce all the races into evil. The nine men soon became victims to the power of their rings and eventually became Nazgûl, ring wraiths, they are neither living or dead. They only serve the Dark Lord and can only die if the One Ring is destroyed. The only way to defeat Sauron is to destroy the ring. It has gone missing for several years and no one has found it. It can only be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom where it was made. Mount Doom is located in the land of Mordor, which is Sauron's strong hold. He searches for it every day and every night with his big eye from the great fortress of Barad-dûr where he resides."

Dany frowned, trying to take in all this new information. Was there an even bigger malice threatening the people of Middle Earth? "So first we have Smaug to worry about and then that Sauron might take over Middle Earth, am I correct?"

Gandalf couldn't help but chuckle, "Yes you are. But one thing at time Daenerys, as long as Sauron doesn't know where the ring is then we do not have to focus on that. _Or at least I hope so..._ "

"Why didn't the dwarves and elves become victims to their rings? Are they stronger in a way?"

"The dwarves did, they became so obsessed with treasure and their greed became their fall. The elves hid theirs from Sauron for a long time but used them very little for healing purposes. Men has always been weak and desired power above all other things in this world and that is the reason why the One Ring never was destroyed in the first place."

Dany didn't want Gandalf to stop; this started to become even more interesting. "Has anyone tried to destroy it before?"

"When the Last Alliance of men and elves fought the armies of Mordor several years ago, prince Isildur of Gondor managed to cut the ring from Sauron's hand. Immediately Elrond Half Elven told Isildur to follow him into he fires of Mount Doom to destroy it. Isildur however was already seduced by the ring and refused. The ring eventually led Isildur to his death. He tried to catch it when it fell into the water in an ambush and enemies shot arrows at him so he drowned. That was the last time anyone saw the ring, at least for common knowledge."

Daenerys couldn't help but worry again. "If the ring is found, Sauron surely will do anything in his power to have it. Will all the races be able to unite to find him? Considering the great conflict that is going on between dwarves and elves?"

"Indeed he will, Daenerys. But like I said, now is not the time to think of things that we cannot yet affect."

Dany felt somewhat ashamed and looked down at her hands that were holding the reins in a tight grip. "Forgive me Gandalf, all this is still so new to me and I had no idea I would become a part of such a big adventure when I arrived here."

Gandalf put a hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture, "It is all right, I understand. You are young and still learning, Daenerys Stormborn. There is still a lot of time to adapt to this new life and I have no doubt you will. You have already been accepted by the main part of our company, even the dwarf lord himself, and that is something you should be very proud of. If you want to ask something, I will do my best to be able to answer it."

Dany felt comforted, "Thank you Gandalf, you are always so encouraging. I know I will ask you many questions but it feels safe to know that you are there for me."

With those words, Dany felt that now was not the time to push the subject about Sauron further. She watched as Gandalf lit his pipe, which was something Dany had learned both he and Bilbo enjoyed. She then looked back at the rest of the company, her violet eyes met Thorin's blue ones and they exchanged a small smile. Gandalf was right, that this big group of men had accepted her and especially their leader was something she should be proud of and she felt it.

* * *

Next day Thorin had asked Kili to go ahead to look for dangers. Kili was the scout of the group and a very good one at that. It was now past lunchtime and Daenerys was talking to Bofur who she had learned was a really funny man, always joking and always in a good mood. One time Daenerys couldn't stop laughing at his hat and he immediately caught that, thankfully he wasn't angry but only said that he is used to it. Suddenly, he asked her something she definitely wasn't prepared for:

"I have been curious for a time, what is in that box that you carry with you? It looks rather heavy and big for just some small, simple thing."

Dany felt nervous, there was no way she could tell the truth, at least not yet. But at the same time she didn't really want to lie either because one day the truth would eventually come out; that she had three dragons waiting to be hatched.

"It is something that is dearly precious to me which I cannot tell anyone."

Bofur raised his eyebrows, "Oh I can see it's something very precious, you do not let it get out of your sight. Is it something that is typical for where you come from, you know like a memory so you will not forget your family?"

"Well yes, in a way. I wouldn't say that it is something that only exists where I come from but you are right in what you said. I cannot say more than that, a woman must have her secrets." She smiled pleadingly towards him, hoping to end the conversation.

"Aye I suppose you're right. Sorry, was just curious. Where…"

Bofur didn't have time to say more until they caught sight of Kili who came running towards them at full speed. When he came to Thorin he raised his voice as high as he could, breathing hard from running:

"Wargs! There are wargs and orcs ahead!"

Gandalf, who had walked at the back of the line, was suddenly at Kili's side.

"How far ahead are they and could you see how many?"

"Maybe two miles unless they haven't moved, they were currently resting or so it seemed. Gandalf, I don't think we will make it past them, we have to prepare for battle. There was at least ten wargs with one orc on each back. There are more out there because I heard howls in the distance."

Dany had turned around and listened to their conversation, feeling panicked. What would she do? The trolls being seemingly slow and stupid were one thing but wargs could run fast and had teeth sharp as butchers' knives. She had never seen them in Essos but had heard stories about them. Orcs she knew less about, only that they were evil creatures. She had to ask Gandalf for advice so she rode towards the trio.

"Gandalf, what should I do? I am the only one in the company with a horse right now."

While slightly patting Mist's mane, Gandalf said:

"You must ride away from here, Daenerys. Ride the fastest you can towards Rivendell and we will meet you there."

Dany looked at him with big eyes, not believing his words. There was no way she could find the way to Rivendell without his guidance. Also, what if the wargs and orcs picked up her trail and started hunting her, could she really outrun them?

"No, Mithrandir. How am I supposed to find the way to Rivendell without you? I can't do this. What if they catch me? Please let me stay and fight, let me prove myself. " Daenerys basically pleaded, not able to control her words and thoughts as panic and stress started to fill up her whole body. Even Mist could sense it, moving her hooves in a nervous way.

"Ride away from the sun and you will find the way. You can do this, Daenerys. Now is not the time for you to fight, it will come soon enough"

Gandalf then whispered something in Mist's ear, which Dany could neither hear nor understand. After he finished, Mist gave him a slight nudge and he laughed. _What had he said to her?_ Before heading towards Bilbo and the other dwarves, taking Kili with him, he whispered a final "Ride fast, and do not look behind." and gave her a final encouraging smile and pat on the shoulder. A booming voice interrupted her racing thoughts:

"You must listen to Gandalf, Daenerys. Ride as fast as you can! Right now there is no other way."

She looked down at the dwarf lord who now was standing right next to her, formerly keeping his distance. His right hand was on her saddle, close to her body. For some reason, his words calmed her a bit. She was still scared though, very scared.

"Thorin, I can't do this. I'm frightened, what if something happens to anyone of you? How is Mist supposed to find the way to Rivendell? Shouldn't I take Bilbo with me, he has never fought."

"Now is not the time to think, just do as he said." Then he reached for Dany's hand with his left and held it over hers, something that made her both jump slightly in the saddle and relax on the inside. With his right hand he made a "come hither" motion and she bent down. "I know you can do this, I trust you Daenerys Targaryen. Take yourself to safety and do not think about us, my men and me are all skilled fighters."

Suddenly Dany felt a courage she had never felt before. Yes, she and Mist would take themselves to safety. She smiled a reassuring smile and fastened her grip on Thorin's much bigger hand.

"I will do my best Thorin. Stay safe and protect each other."

He smiled back and nodded. Without thinking their heads moved closer and closer, as if there was an invisible power pulling at them. Suddenly they both heard howls that made them look behind them. Not far away they saw what Kili had seen; ten wargs with orcs on their backs. Dany looked with big eyes, never had she thought the beasts would look that big. In her mind she had always thought of them as the wolves from her world but bigger. These looked like some giant, ugly dog breed. Thorin immediately let go of her hand.

"Go Daenerys, now!"

Those where the last words Dany heard before she took off in the same direction as Gandalf had told her to, away from the sun. She barely had time to think and didn't have the chance to look back.

* * *

As someone who hadn't galloped at high speed before and certainly not while in danger, Dany felt the adrenaline rush through her veins as Mist ran faster and faster. She knew that the mare was a strong one but not this strong and most certainly not this fast. _Could it be some of Gandalf's magic?_

Time passed and Mist never lost her speed, she kept running as Daenerys sometimes had to struggle to keep herself in the saddle. Then Dany heard sounds she absolutely didn't want to hear; howls and not far away, actually it sounded as if they were close. Dany looked backwards and then saw them; two big, vile looking creatures running after her and on their backs were what she assumed orcs. Dany screamed at Mist to increase her speed even more and so she did but it was too late, the wargs got closer and closer.

It didn't take long before she had one beast on each side of her. The one on her left side was just about to attack her when it fell to the ground, seemingly hit by an arrow. _Who did that? There was no way the dwarves were around._ The other warg, however, didn't stop its hunt. The orc on the back raised his sword towards Dany who the whole time kept her focus on the enemy on her right while Mist just kept galloping. When he swung it Dany barely managed to duck her head so he missed. At the same moment, the beast got hold of Mist's front leg with its giant jaws. The gallop came to an abrupt halt and Dany fell forward, hitting the ground hard. She landed with her face down and screamed in pain as she hit both her front and her head. Groaning, she tried the best way she could to turn around and to her horrifying sight Mist lay on the ground together with the warg, the beast appeared to be dead but Mist was still moving slightly. The mare had a big, bleeding wound in her leg and let out neighs of pain. This warg also had an arrow in the side. _W_ _as there someone out there to protect them? Who and why? Did they know about the quest?_

Trying to crawl forward with the help of her arms, Dany couldn't stop the tears from falling now while she looked at her precious mare. There was something else; her dragon eggs! The box looked intact and she knew the eggs wouldn't break that easy, that was at least some relief but Dany didn't feel anything else but pain right now. Her whole body ached from the fall, there was a shooting pain in her right upper abdomen and she had probably hit her head hard as well because she could feel she was bleeding from there. As she glanced to her right, the orc that sat on the warg came towards her. Dany just stared at him as he stood right in front of her and wielded his sword, a grim sneering look on his face. _This is it, this is the end. I am dead now._ Just before he was about to strike her, an arrow hit him, the same type as the ones who killed the wargs. He fell to the ground right away, his stinking body odour reaching Dany's nostrils. As if the pain wasn't enough, she could feel her insides turn and then her food came up the same way it had gone down earlier in the day.

Feeling sick and disgusted both thanks to the headache and the smell of the orc corpse and her own vomit, Daenerys lost the power in her arms that had held her up and fell to the ground. She laid there, tears falling from her eyes and blood trickling from her head. She wished she could see Mist but it was like all of her strength had left her. Not even being able to keep her eyes open anymore she closed them, giving in to the unknown. Vague voices could be heard in the distance but as she grew more and more tired they sounded more and more far away. Then everything went black.


End file.
